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Pune's Akhil Vishwa Mitra Mandal hands over charge of their Ganesh Mahostav to an all-women team this year

Pune's Akhil Vishwa Mitra Mandal hands over charge of their Ganesh Mahostav to an all-women team this year

For the first time in the city, Akhil Vishwa Mitra Mandal (AVMM) at Sadashiv Peth has given forty middle-aged women the charge of its Ganesh mandal.

Tejashree Damame, Sangeeta Patne, Shobha Patharkar, Smita Patharkar, Ujwala Chaudhari, Savita Chaudhari, Manisha Mohite and Shobha Kodre have been a part of AVMM for many years.
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They have played the dhol and danced with other male members, but this year, they have taken centre stage.

"We thank Ganpati Bappa for this opportunity, as we have learnt so many things," said Damame president of AVMM.



Added Patne, the other president, "We are celebrating the festival in a simple way due to the swine flu threat, but we are also promoting social and environmental programs."

They plan to do their bit by avoiding the use of gulal during the immersion procession, as it has harmful chemicals.
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Damame, a financial consultant, said the festival has taught them the economics and planning of programmes.
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So far, they have organised a blood donation camp and a garbage segregation workshop "to help the PMC".
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Recalling the blood donation drive where they collected 104 bottles of blood, Patne said, "Sixty per cent of the donors were women and young girls."

Now this opportunity to organise the Ganpati festival has boosted their morale even further. "It has given us the confidence to organise Navratri programmes in September," Damame said.

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